7 Hot and Delicious Italian Meat Dishes

Italy is world-famous for its pizza and pasta dishes, and rightfully so. However, did you know they make amazingly delicious meat dishes? A trip down this lane to discover these dishes will undoubtedly leave you craving something meaty. You might even find yourself tempted to head to the store to stock up on ingredients to make a few of these meals.

Below are seven hot and delicious Italian meat dishes that you may want to order at a fine dining restaurant:

1. Osso buco Alla Milanese

Osso buco is a classic Milanese dish made of veal shanks braised in a sauce, consisting of white wine and vegetables. Small-sized shanks are best used for this dish as they provide the perfect serving size per person. They also don’t take ages to cook.

The key feature of these Italian meat dishes is the marrow in the middle of the shank bones. It’s the treasured centre of the meal. The marrow renders its rich flavour all over the sauce as it cooks, resulting in a delicious dish. Carrots, celery, and tomatoes are ideal vegetables to use when preparing this meal. Gremolada, a chopped mixture of parsley, garlic, and lemon zest, is often used as an accompaniment or garnish.

2. Braciole

Braciole is bound to satisfy the taste buds of meat lovers. Made from thinly-sliced pieces of meat and a variety of fillings, this hearty Italian dish is easy to fall in love with. Be it beef, veal, or pork, the meat is thinly-sliced and pounded with a mallet to flatten it.

The filling is then carefully layered on top of the slice. Prosciutto, parmesan or mozzarella cheese, garlic, bread crumbs, and fresh parsley are the common ingredients used for the filling. The slice is then carefully rolled up and tied with a butcher’s string or fastened using toothpicks, then pan-fried. When done, simmer them in red wine and tomato-based sauce until ready. Braciole is usually served with pasta.

3. Coda Alla Vaccinara

This is a traditional Italian stew made from braised oxtail and vegetables. Slow-cook until the meat practically falls off the bone, resulting in a deliciously rich, savoury dish. The oxtail is chopped into fairly medium pieces and browned in hot oil in a large, heavy pan.

Once cooked, add chopped onions and garlic into the pan and season the meat with salt and pepper. Add to the pan red or white wine, depending on your preference. Let it to simmer for several minutes and then add tomatoes and some water. Cook the stew on low heat for about three hours. About half an hour to the end of cooking time, chopped celery is added into the stew and allowed to simmer for the last few minutes of cooking.

4. Veal Milanese

Simple and delicious is how this dish should be described. Veal Milanese is made using veal cutlets, with or without a bone. To make these Italian meat dishes, first, dip the meat in seasoned flour with excess flour patted off before adding it into a bowl with beaten eggs.

Next, dip the meat in breadcrumbs and carefully press it down to ensure the breadcrumbs stick to it. Next, shallow-fried on both sides for a few minutes in clarified butter or olive oil. It’s best served immediately over a salad or cherry tomatoes and arugula.

5. Rosticciana

This is a classic Tuscan meal of pork ribs roasted over charcoal. The ribs are typically seasoned with rosemary and garlic. Quite an easy meaty dish to prepare, the pork can be brined before cooking it for at least twelve hours. Drain the pork from the brine and, using a dry rub made of rosemary, garlic and pepper, rub the mixture over the ribs and allow it to sit for a couple of hours. Roast over charcoal or in the oven until done.

6. Scaloppine

These Italian meat dishes are made with thinly-sliced pieces of meat that are fried and served with a sauce. The meat is everything. A meat mallet is used to flatten it. Once this is done, dredge the meat in flour and shake off and fry any excess in butter using a skillet.

Next, transfer it onto a plate and cover to keep warm. A white wine sauce can be made using the same skillet by adding white wine and some lemon juice. Next, allow the sauce to simmer and then pour it over the meat. Enjoy.

7. Carne Pizzaiola

The name of this meaty dish loosely translates into pizza-style meat. This is because of the tomato and oregano used in preparing it. Slices of steak are rubbed with oregano and seared in garlic and hot oil in a pan. Do this on both sides before removing and placing it aside.

In the same pan, tomatoes are added with more oregano and cooked until softened. The steaks are then added back into the pan and simmered on low heat until very tender. To serve, remove the steaks and top them with tomato sauce.

Hungry? Can’t blame you; not after reading about these delicious meaty dishes. They’re bound to be a hit at the family dinner table, or with your guests the next time you’re playing host.